How to Create a Sustainable Workout Routine
If you’re someone who jumps out of bed, excited to hit the gym and lift heavy weights, this isn’t for you. After at least a decade of trying to be that person, I’m over it. I’ve accepted that I’m not someone who can, or really wants to, live in the gym- I need as much time as possible for my hobby of the week! Now that I’m in my 20s, I realize how essential consistent exercise is for my health. When I exercise, I notice huge improvements in my energy, sleep, appetite, and of course, my physique. But I need it to be a sustainable part of my lifestyle, not a quick fix before the summer.
If you’re struggling to find a sustainable workout routine, whip out your notes app and continue reading to find out how I finally managed to stay consistent. My journey in black, my journal prompts in green ->
Step 1: Get active x days/week for x time/day
In the past, I could only maintain consistency for a few months at a time. My goal back then was always to get bikini ready. This would motivate me for a while, but eventually, I’d get frustrated with the slow results and the complex workout routines required for body recomposition. Creating workout splits and trying to learn new exercises only made the process more overwhelming. This time, I started by making the goal to simply get active. Some activities I tried were climbing, walking/running, yoga, lifting, pickleball, and body weight workouts. The most important part was having fun with it! The goal at this point isn’t to see dramatic and quick results, it’s to figure out what exercises are most enjoyable and motivating.
Another important component of this was being consistent with the amount of time I was getting active everyday. In the past, I’d default to committing at least an hour a day, but it always backfired. I thought an hour was the minimum amount of time anyone should spend exercising to see results, but I’d either feel like I didn’t have an hour to spare, or I’d be too tired to do anything productive once I got there, making the time feel wasted. These became convenient excuses not to go at all. For me, this created a frustrating cycle: I needed energy to work out, but I needed to work out to have energy. This time, I decreased the time commitment to at least 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week- this would make it about an hour including a stretch and a shower. Decreasing the time commitment made it feel more manageable, and I was more likely to follow through.
Step 2: Get Specific
Once I was successfully doing something active at least 4 days a week, I had a better idea of the exercises I did and didn’t enjoy. For example, lifting was a tough one for me. Learning new exercises, especially in front of the seasoned gym rats, ended up creating more mental blocks than motivation for me. Running was easier because I already knew how to do it, but I knew I didn’t have the energy for it a lot of times. This turned into walking on an incline some days, but it felt long and boring. I tried climbing and I loved my discounted two-week trial, but I knew I didn’t have the money to comfortably join a climbing gym at the time. What really stuck for me was low intensity resistance training that I could do at home, or in an empty yoga studio. Ultimately, it is easier for me to get myself to the gym if I don’t have to interact with anyone or worry about being perceived (introvert alert, lol). These workouts usually involve slow, form focused movements and can be adapted to different experience, strength, and energy levels, and durations! The adaptability of these exercises made them super manageable for me long-term.
While these types of exercises are all over the internet, I decided to get a membership to a fitness app for some guidance. I’ve never been the type to pay for something like this, but I figured if I wasn’t spending on a gym membership, it was worth it. The MadFit app is the best fitness app I’ve found that aligns with my fitness goals (not sponsored). It has several variations of different types of resistance training exercises that require little to no equipment. This way, I can easily pick my desired intensity and duration and find the perfect workout. They’re in video format, with a trainer demonstrating exactly how to do the exercises and there’s a handy progress tracker right in the app. On top of that- yep, there’s more- it has some fun challenges and even some recipes, all in one place! If my fitness journey sounds at all like yours, I’d highly consider giving it a shot!
Step 3: Challenge Yourself
I’ve reached a point now, where I am genuinely excited to get active. I do some sort of exercise at least 4 days a week, whether it be cardio, resistance training, or a little bit of both. I stretch or do a gentle yoga flow every single day, and I also incorporate some sports every now and then. Moving forward, I plan to get more specific with my goals and challenge myself, whether it be by exercising more often or increasing my weight. For example, I’ve always wanted to have stronger legs and get as close to having visible abs as possible- the latter is particularly hard for me because it involves super clean eating. But, now that I have a routine down, I feel ready to start focusing on that aspect of my health next.
- What activities do you want to try?
- Ex. Walking, yoga, hiking, climbing, jump roping, lifting, biking, calisthenics, pilates, barre, dancing, HIIT, crossfit…
- Are you more likely to exercise if you don’t have to travel somewhere? Try at home or outdoor workouts.
- Considering your current schedule, how much time can you realistically dedicate to working out and stick to (minimum)?
- Consider other factors like commuting, stretching, and showering. Decreasing the time commitment increased the chance of me being consistent (vs trying to commit more time and risking falling off track again).
- Tip: Track your progress — use a journal, your notes app, a habit tracker in Notion (my go-to).
Seeing my progress made me aware of how well I was doing—or when I had fallen off track. This would motivate me to get to the gym before breaking my streak and help me keep track of the different types of workouts I was doing. I also use my tracker to track habits like my water intake, my drinking, and my mood. - Bonus Tip: Put a reminder in your calendar. Moving the reminder to the next day when I don’t feel like working out works as another gentle reminder of the commitment I made to myself.
- Which activities from Step 1 did you find yourself most excited to do? Which ones made you feel the best afterwards? Which ones do you want to stick to moving forward?
- How can you modify these activities for low energy versus high energy days?
- Was your time commitment sustainable? What will be your minimum time commitment moving forward?
- Tip: If you found an activity you really like, consider getting some sort of membership- whether you join a boxing gym or get a fitness app membership, immersing yourself in the community and having a little extra guidance can be super motivating. If you do decide to take this route, I’d sign up for something long-term rather than something like a 30 day fitness challenge. The goal is to build something sustainable, not a quick and temporary fix.
- Have you been consistently active for at least 3 months? Is there anything about your routine you want to change?
- What’s next? Do you have any specific fitness goals? Are there other aspects of your health you want to start working on?
- Tip: Consider Step 2 your default- this is the routine you know you’re comfortable with and have time to do consistently. If you need a change, you can always go back to Step 1!
If there’s one thing to take away from this article, it’s that taking baby steps is okay. After years of trying countless workout routines, I decided to dial back my goals. Now, I’ve been more consistent and seen better results than ever before. Once the consistency is established, it’s easier to develop more focused goals. I also learned I respond better to compassion than “tough love,” which almost always ends up with me burnt out and back at square one. Life comes at us fast and it’s okay that some days we have more time than others. Its okay that some days we have more energy than others. Its okay that some people find it easier to consistently workout than others. Its okay to start small and work our way up. The most important thing in the end, is to stay healthy and live better.